As a college freshman, you may be wondering which living situation is best for you next year. Should you live in the dorm again? Should you move into a house off campus? With the high number of students enrolled in each university, there is a strong demand for housing, and you may need to make this decision early on in your freshman year. Here are some helpful things to think about when choosing your living situation.

Pros to living in the dorms:

• Dorms provide students with a community living space and hundreds of other students. This will give you the opportunity to make new friends with people who you may otherwise not have met.
• Most dorms include a meal plan in the dining hall, which is convenient when you don’t have access to a kitchen. Some students like the idea of having meals provided for them without having to cook and shop for groceries—if this pertains to you too, living in a dorm will be a good option for you.
• Many universities offer designated dorms for upperclassmen, so you may be able to live with your friends and other sophomore students.
• There are opportunities for sophomore students to become Resident Advisors for freshmen. In many schools, Resident Advisors live in the dorms for free. This can be a great opportunity for students who are worried about the financial strains of living off campus.
• University dorms are a safe place to live because they require entrants to have some form of key or key card to gain access to the building. The building is secure, making it less likely that a break-in will occur.

Pros to living in a house:

• Living in a house with your friends can be a very fun experience!
• You will have more freedom and independence than you do when living in the dorms. While it is great to have the security of a dorm and the help of Resident Advisors, some students feel that in sophomore year, they’d rather live off campus and be more in control of their living situation.
• It is likely that you will have your own bedroom instead of having to share a double with a roommate.
• You can live with your friends and still have your own personal space. Houses provide a larger living space than dorm rooms, which allows you to live with people without constantly being on top of them.
• You will have access to a kitchen and be able to cook your own meals. Some freshmen are not particularly fond of the dining hall meal plan, so having the ability to prepare their own food is a perk to living in a house.
• You will only have to share a bathroom with your housemates and not an entire residence hall.

There are perks to both options, and whichever you choose, you’re going to have a great year.